


Spider on the Wall

by Kleptomaniac_Can_Opener



Series: Aspects [1]
Category: Doctor Strange - All Media Types, Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Ultimate Spider-Man (Cartoon), X-Men - All Media Types, Yoroiden Samurai Troopers | Ronin Warriors
Genre: Bad Puns, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Demons, Demons Made Them Do It, Established Relationship, Lonely Spiders, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parallel Universes, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, time displacement
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-13
Updated: 2017-01-13
Packaged: 2018-09-16 14:30:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9276131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kleptomaniac_Can_Opener/pseuds/Kleptomaniac_Can_Opener
Summary: Curiosity and a desire to meet someone like himself takes Rajura to another dimension, but what was Touma’s real reason for inventing the teleporter?Parallel series to "Fate & Justice."





	

**Author's Note:**

> While the original Samurai Troopers takes place in 1988, they’re getting an update to the 00’s. I’m done with the 90’s. Lived it, don’t need it. :P Smartphones for everyone!
> 
> I know the Japanese spelling would translate to Shu(u) Rei Fuan in English, but I’m playing up the Chinese here so his name will be spelled Xiu Li Huang. Although the Troopers will call him Shu, which Xiu thinks of as his nickname.

Rajura knew damn well that he wasn’t supposed to be in Touma’s lab.

It had been a year since the Masho had left the Yojakai, the realm of demons, permanently. They did what they could to correct the damage they had caused the demon world while under the warlord Arago’s influence, and now it was fully back in the hands, claws, and various other appendages of its true residents.

It was time for the four time-displaced generals and one sage to reintegrate into human society. The process was slow and often painful. They had been torn away from their era when samurai and magic had been abundant, now they were bygone relics replaced by science and people known as Aspects. They had learned some things of the modern world before their return, but it was clear that their lessons had been sadly lacking. Knowing what electricity was or what a mobile phone was for, did not mean you knew or understood the culture that used them. The human world, their home, had become alien.

They had almost been surprised to find upon their return that the Samurai Troopers now shared ages with the former generals. The difference in the flow of time between the two dimensions had done its work again. The Troopers had been children like their sage girl when they had left, the same ages the Masho had been when Arago had torn them away from everything they knew to become his demon generals.

Apparently, instead of going to war or already having families, 17 to 19-year-old males were still considered “underage” and expected to go to college. The job market was also completely different from what they had known. Kayura, who was 12, had to attend school. Being from a Shaman village, it wasn’t something she was familiar with. They had not been prepared for what the modern world had become.

The Troopers had been surprised to find out that the Masho were younger than their first impressions of them. Of course they had probably seemed older considering how young the Troopers were during Arago’s invasion, and the particular circumstances they were all caught in. Kayura’s age was the only one that hadn’t surprised anyone as she was still obviously a child.

Back to the lab that Rajura wasn’t supposed to be in.

At 20, and finally considered an adult again, the former demon general of illusion was as curious as ever. He was also bored since he didn’t have work, and no one obeyed the DO NOT ENTER sign anyway. Plus, with the AI system down for routine maintenance he had no incentive to stay out. As long as he didn’t touch anything, it should be fine to explore.

He should have gone to the museum to see the new Egyptian exhibit like Touma and Kayura had, but he hadn’t been in the mood to look at artifacts from even older eras just to make himself feel younger. While in all technicalities they had only experienced 4 years and some odd months in the Yojakai, it had felt like hundreds of years. Perhaps his body had sensed the passing of time back in the human realm, which was roughly around 100 years to every year with the demons.

He stared at the gadgets and other strange items that took up the space in the enormous room. From what he understood, Touma was well beyond the intelligence of the majority of people on the planet. His inventions were the most sophisticated in the world, and the world had taken notice shortly after Arago’s failed invasion when the then-teenager had debuted his first scientific advancement. By the time the Masho had returned to Earth, the Samurai Trooper of Air and Space had already established his own company that allowed them liberties they had lacked before.

It was fortunate in many ways. Under normal circumstances, the Troopers would have been torn apart by what made modern life. They were originally from different parts of the country and so had obligations away from one another. It would have been natural to drift away. However, Touma’s success allowed them to stay together as a team in the tower he had built, and he had enabled Nasuti to keep the Yagyu home without issue. These same resources were put to use when the Masho reappeared, to give them time to learn and adjust. Months later and already Anubisu and Shuten Doji felt comfortable enough to use their true birth names again. Naaza also mentioned he may return to using his.

Rajura paused at something that was definitely new. “A doorway?” His one eye studied the constructions of sleek metal and tubes. Even though it was off, he could tell how the energy would run through it in order to power the empty space. “Is it meant to be a teleporter?”

He had heard Touma speak of wanting to be able to pass their gift of teleportation on to the normal populace. He optimistically thought of using it to get the injured to the hospital instantaneously. It was an idea with merit, but Rajura knew how all of them had used the ability for fighting and infiltration. Already the Smart Armors he had invented for the law were being copied by enemy countries for their armies. They were, no doubt, inferior products but they were being made nonetheless.

The machine suddenly activated. In a panic, the white-haired man looked around for how it could have happened. There was nothing by his arms to bump, and he hadn’t stepped on anything. Was it his proximity to the doorway? That would be stupid, even for Touma’s absentminded ways.

There was a picture now. The doorway had become a window.

“Marvelous.” The view screen started with a bird’s eye view of what appeared to be New York, but there were differences from the New York that Rajura had been learning about. This one still had the Twin Towers, and there was an almost-familiar skyscraper that he knew didn’t belong there. The picture zoomed in closer and he saw that the new skyscraper had a giant, stylized A on it that made him think of the H logo Touma used for his brand. The building itself was superficially similar to their home, the tower he was currently in. The screen panned around the city, like it was searching for something.

His single eye widened as the window found its subject. There was a man, he presumed anyway from the spandex outfit, swinging between buildings via spider silk. There was a motif of a spider on the front of his red and blue outfit.

“He is… like me?”

Never had Rajura thought there could be anyone of the spiders like himself. The red and blue spider person could even stick to and climb on walls, just as Rajura could when not in the demon realm. He stepped closer to the viewer to see how this other man was producing his webs. His own came from his fingertips, but this man looked like he shot it from his wrists.

“Who is he?” He wanted to know. He wanted to learn more about this other person who was similar to him. Without thinking, he reached out towards the other male, and his fingers brushed the screen.

Rajura yelped as he was abruptly surrounded by energy and then he was sucked in, leaving Touma’s lab empty.

~*~

He found himself falling through the air with his head towards the ground. It didn’t really bother him to be upside-down. He was often in this position for his own comfort, but it did tell him why Touma wasn’t bragging about his teleporter yet. This was a glaring bug.

The man righted himself and looked around. He was above what was probably Central Park, if this place was indeed New York. He could see the Twin Towers, the A building, and the Brooklyn Bridge in the distance. Not his world’s New York, but what he could only conclude was another world’s New York. Going to the wrong dimension was certainly a flaw as well, assuming Touma’s teleporter wasn’t meant to take you to new planes of existence.

Then again, this was Hashiba Touma—maybe he had meant to create a dimensional teleporter.

More importantly, there was a fight happening below him.  
His sudden appearance had their attention.

That was the greenest demon he had ever seen and he didn’t look too happy either. But where was the blue and red spider?

Rajura angled his body to slow his descent, then he flipped a couple times to cushion his landing and settled lightly on his feet in the grass. He rested one hand on his hip to disguise his nervousness. He wanted to appear relaxed and calm, to hide that he was tense and ready to fight. Entering a new world and brawling had not been on his agenda today, especially not with opponents he knew absolutely nothing about. On the bright side, they knew nothing about him either.

It also looked like the initial battle was done, seeing as the ogre was sitting on what was probably the leader of the enemy contingent. The figure looked more menacing than the other armor-clad figures who were scattered across the ground like garbage. This close they felt like normal humans, assuming that applied to the populace here. His gaze swept over the others… were they Aspects?

“Who the hell is that?” asked the blond man in a black outfit with purple design and purple sunglasses. He was holding a black and chrome bow in one hand and the strangest arrow he had ever seen in the other hand. There was some sort of cylinder in place of where the head belonged, and it was being pointed at him. At his back was a man in red, white, and blue. He supposed he was an American. Said American had a large shield that gave off a strange energy that Rajura had never felt before. It didn’t feel demonic, just alien. Were there aliens here?  
“He doesn’t appear to be a HYDRA agent,” Red, White, and Blue mentioned. “He may not be a foe.”

Noted, HYDRA was not high on the list of people to like. The downed men were probably part of this HYDRA.

The demon, who lacked the aura of the Yojakai despite his appearance, slammed a fist into his palm. Rajura could feel the mini shockwave. It caused his snow white hair to blow back over his shoulders. “Smash puny cyclops!”  
“Calm down, Hulk,” ordered the American. He placed his shield on his back then he stepped forward with a hand out, which Rajura recognized as a handshake. “I’m sorry for the reception, we weren’t expecting company. I’m Captain America. The big guy is Hulk, and the one with the bow is Hawkeye.”

Rajura stared at the hand for a long moment but decided he should implement the no-touching rule for now. The man’s aura, it reminded him of Shuten Doji’s. His powers could be similar. “Where is this, and what is the date?” It was fortunate that one of the languages Arago had forced him to learn had been English.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” snarked the blond. Captain America dropped his hand and kept his spot standing in front of Rajura.  
“You’re in Central Park of New York City in New York State, the country of the United States of America. It’s July 20th, 2015, Monday. You don’t sound like you’re from around here.”  
“No shit, Sherlock,” the bowman quipped.

Rajura smiled a bit at the mention of Monday. It really was “always Monday,” wasn’t it?

“Excuse my interruption, I’ll leave you to your work.” Rajura teleported to the nearest roof outside of the park. Fortunately, falling as he had had given him a clear view of the unfamiliar territory. It gave him options for getting away quickly. Once he was accustomed to this place he would be able to teleport around by memory instead of by sight.

Rajura swiftly put more distance between him and the local Hero Party, or whoever they were, with a few more teleports before resuming to walk so he wouldn’t exhaust his magical force. Or aspect power…it was hard getting used to thinking of his abilities that way.  
For now, he was more interested in tracking down the other spider, and then he needed to figure out how to get back home. Preferably, before he found himself in need of money, shelter, and other such things. He could easily resort to stealing, but he had turned over a new leaf since the Masho days. He was a good and productive citizen, not a demon general. Or he tried to be. Longtime habits were sometimes hard to break.

Hopefully this New York City had the forests outside it. He could camp out like in the old days.

Rajura checked his back pocket and found that his wallet was where it should be and that his phone had managed to stay put as well. Unfortunately, he had no service. “Of course. I doubt my plan is interdimensional.” He turned it off then slipped it back into his pocket for now. Maybe he’d take some pictures or video later, but it seemed prudent to save the battery.

He crawled along the walls of a building until he saw a crowd he could meld into. Fortunately, it looked like his simple jeans and tee-shirt with the H logo blended in here. He was glad that he wore his walking boots today. It looked like he was going to do a lot of walking, probably running and other fancy footwork too.

“This place is not much different from Tokyo.” There were big screen televisions everywhere, showing commercials and the news. People milled about every which way and the number of vehicles was mind-boggling, more so since the cars and trucks here were much bigger than the ones in Japan. The similarities stopped on the visual. The sounds and smells were completely different, as was the atmosphere itself.

Despite the normal attire, he was getting a lot of stares; more than could be blamed on his eyepatch, which usually garnered some attention. He was also aware that he was considered good-looking, but that explanation felt off.

And there was something else that he noticed. There was more magic here, and more humans that had special auras. Were they Aspects?  
Did this world have more people like them, like the Troopers, the Masho, and the handful of other Heroes? That Captain America had been like his friend, so he must be a man of incredible physical strength and will.

A shadow passed overhead. “It’s him.” The red and blue spider was swinging a few hundred feet above. Excitement filled his chest.

Rajura ducked into an alley then jumped to the top of the building. It would be easier to make contact from above than below. He leaped from roof to roof to catch up, and soon had the other male in sight. He didn’t bother hiding his presence. He wanted the other spider to detect him.

However, the first person to notice him was a woman in a white suit with grey stripes like a tiger. There were pointed ears on the top of her mask, and dark hair flowed out from a topknot. “Hey, no groupies in the battle zone,” she shouted.

Another battle? This version of New York had a lot of fighting in it, and a lot of people wearing masks. This should be interesting to watch.

“Thank you for the warning.” He used his illusions to disappear from sight, to her surprise from what he could tell through her mask.

He fell back and watched as she, the red and blue spider, and three other disguised males engaged with an unusual group of men calling themselves the Wrecking Crew. Honestly, the whole thing was strange to him in his experience. In his short time here he had already run into almost as many people with special auras and superhuman abilities as there existed back home. The mix of magic and technology was amazing. Touma had to be studying this place for a reason.

Rajura found a spot to watch from and quickly learned the names of the others as they were called out. His fellow arachnoid, Spider-Man, was the type to speak during battle, his quips designed to confuse and enrage his opponents. He also made more use of his natural flexibility than Rajura did his own, but that had to do mainly with their very different fighting styles. Spider-Man’s style was amusing, especially when he tangled up the one in green and yellow who had been tossing around a ball and chain, then swung around with him. “I came in like a wrecking ball!” the spider sang. What a strange song.

The team of heroes quickly dealt with the Wrecking Crew, the spider tying them up with his web for the local authorities to pick up. Some high fives were exchanged.

There was the sound similar to that of an aircraft, but it was too small and low to be an airplane. He soon had his answer in the form of flying red and gold armor. Rajura blinked in astonishment. This world really had a lot of fun things in it, the kind of things that Touma had begun inventing in recent years. Did this world have someone like Touma?

The armor stopped and hovered in midair. The boy in black and gold with a red starburst on his face plate, Nova, waved up at red and gold. “Hey, Iron Man! We gots it here!”  
“Good job, kids, but I’m here for something else.” Illuminated eyes focused right on Rajura’s hiding spot. “And there’s our spatial irregularity.”

Did this armored man have the truth sight like Seiji? He was the only living being he knew who could see through his illusions. But other ways could be used to dispel his illusions, as well. He didn’t feel magic from this one, so he had to be using some form of technology.

A red hand with a white glowing center was pointed at him. “Uncloak yourself now. I don’t want to get rough.” The white-haired man could hear the winding sound of building energy. He dropped his camouflage. “Another kid? Hey, Cap, lock on my coordinates. Found what you were looking for.” Built-in communication, not a surprise really.

Rajura was casually sitting on the side of the flat wall with his arms on his knees. He was again, deceptively relaxed. From this position he could easily spring away or attack. “Can I help you, Iron Man?”  
“Polite, I like that. It’s refreshing.” The sound of energy halted and stabilized, although his hand remained up. Iron Man didn’t plan to shoot him yet. “Who are you, kid? It’s not normal to fall from the sky just to land in the middle of a fight involving terrorists.”

By this point, the spider’s band of heroes had gathered to watch the proceedings. Nova, who could fly, stayed near Iron Man. Spider-Man clung to the side of the building with him, and the other three were on the roof behind him. He was beginning to feel uncomfortably closed in, and he had to force his mental hackles down. He recognized that these people were “the good guys.” These people were right to be suspicious of him. They would have done the same back home.

He took a moment to find the correct English words. “I am called Rajura. I’m not up to anything shady.” For some reason most of the gathered group found that funny. His phrasing must have been off. It made his blind eye itch.

“Rajura,” Iron Man said after a moment, as if testing the name. “Japanese, huh? New resident or just visiting?”  
“Visiting.” He really hoped he wasn’t a new resident. He was displaced enough as it was.

“Watch this guy,” warned the tiger girl aptly called White Tiger, “he disappeared when I saw him earlier. He was following the web head.”  
“He was?” Spider-Man piped up. The black male, Power Man, laughed and he reached over to slap Spider-Man on the back.  
“You got an international fan, Spidey!”  
“Whatever,” commented Nova, who seemed to be sulking. “I’m cooler.”

“You can both be the prettiest at the party, ladies,” Iron Man interjected. “So, Rajura, from what I see, and I’m stating the obvious, I’m guessing you’re a mutant.” The white-haired man tilted his head.  
“What is a mutant?”

The white eyes of Spider-Man’s mask stretched wider in surprise. “You don’t know? Where have you been living, and can I go there?”  
“He’s gotta be lying!” Nova pointed an accusing finger at Rajura.

At that moment, Captain America and Hawkeye joined the others on the roof. “Yup, that’s the kid,” said the blond.  
“Everyone give him some breathing space. Iron Man, stop threatening him.” Captain America gave the armor suited hero a pointed look.  
“Nah uh,” disagreed Iron Man. “I’m getting weird energy readings from this kid.”

“I’m twenty.” Rajura was tired of being called a child. He hadn’t been a child since he was first sent to war when he was 14. And as a samurai, he had officially been named an adult at 15. Then he was in charge of the Masho until Shuten Doji had been promoted up. A child he was not.

“No way are you older than us,” Nova protested loudly. Power Man tilted his sunglasses.  
“For real? I thought you were like sixteen.”

Rajura mentally sighed. This was the same thing that happened when he went to a Los Angeles with Seiji for his kendo tournament. Damn Americans.

But he just learned that Spider-Man’s team members were younger than him, although their movements were polished and they were comfortable in their skins. It was likely that they were around 18 and 19.

“To use an old proverb,” spoke up the boy in green and yellow called Iron Fist, “do not judge a book by its cover.” His tonal inflection reminded Rajura of home, his true home during the Sengoku era. The feeling of homesickness was sudden and made his chest hurt, but it only took a moment for him to push it away with practiced ease. There had been no time for reminiscence in the Yojakai. Rajura bit the inside of his cheek for the moment of weakness. His eye hurt.

There was the sound of boots walking across the roof, then a red glove reached down to Rajura. “Come up, son. Let’s talk and straighten this mess.” It was tempting. The older man seemed genuine and nice, plus it would get him out of the middle of the inquisition. Maybe he could risk taking the man’s hand as a sign of goodwill.

Rajura happened to catch a glance of Spider-Man’s face, or what he could make of it since it was covered in thin material. He seemed to be anticipating him accepting the offer, and Rajura didn’t sense any ill-will. There was some comfort in that.

The white-haired man finally accepted the hand and was pulled up easily. The man definitely had the strength of Shuten Doji, perhaps he was as strong Xiu Li Huang the Samurai Trooper of Earth and Strength.

Iron Man and Nova took positions on the roof, and Spider-Man climbed up to sit on the ledge. He was staring intently at Rajura. He was still surrounded, making his fight or flight nerves tense, but he liked the position better. It was more defendable.

“No need to be afraid, we’re all good people,” Captain America stated, as if sensing Rajura’s uneasiness. “Why don’t you tell us how you ended up here?”

Rajura thought the truth with as little detail as possible would be prudent. “I was at a friend’s, then I was falling through the sky. It was sudden.”

“Oh, come on,” said Hawkeye. “That’s so lame! Can you be more vague? This guy is obviously suspicious!”  
“English probably isn’t his first language,” Captain American interjected, “give him a chance.” His accent should have given that much away, but again, Americans.

“I have a better question,” Iron Man suddenly said while stepping closer to Rajura. The white-haired man instinctively shifted his stance. “Who are you really? You have no records, no pictures. Nothing, nada, zilch, zero. You don’t exist.”

Not only communications, but he had direct connection to an information network or similar. They must have the internet in this world, another not-surprise. This was going south quickly.

Rajura had only wanted to meet Spider-Man, but this was turning out to be quite the bother. If he had been able to come prepared, he could have avoided all of this confrontation. Too late for that now, of course. What was the best way to smooth this situation over? How much of the truth was safe, if any of it? Even if he ran again, where could he go? He was unfamiliar with the territory and customs, and he was beginning to realize a pattern in looks.

General appearance was pretty dark, even the blondes were dark shades. Perhaps the ones in full masks were different, but Rajura stood out like a sore thumb in the looks department with his snow-colored hair. Thus all of the staring he received in the streets. He was going to have to change his features to blend in properly.

“I can say nothing to that,” he finally replied. Touma had created records going back to World War II for all of the Masho so they wouldn’t have this problem. How frustrating that it did him no good here.

His body was ready to fight. He had to remind himself that the natives were only looking after their best interests and defending their territory. He also didn’t want to give away too much about his abilities just yet. Rajura was sure they must think he was only capable of camouflage, and they may understand he had some teleportation power. He still didn’t want to use it, not with how much strength it sapped and at this point all he could do was go back to the park. The fliers would catch up in no time, assuming that Iron Man could track him even when covered by his illusions.

“You know,” Spider-Man suddenly piped up, “I just wanna point out that my Spidey Sense isn’t going off.” He was standing now with his arms crossed over his chest. “He was following me earlier, right? If he had meant me any harm I would have known.”  
“You make a valid point,” supported Captain America. “Could you explain why you were following our comrade?”  
“I was curious to meet someone who seems similar to myself.” That felt like a safe enough answer to give. It would be good if they left it at that.

“Not buying it,” announced Nova.  
“Me neither.” Hawkeye pulled out his bow and notched an arrow. It looked like this was going to be a running theme. “Talk, kid. We want the truth.” Nova and Iron Man had also moved into position.  
“Everyone, stand down!” ordered the Captain.

As a certain warrior of Earth would say, maybe it was time Rajura checked out. Keeping with only using his illusions for camouflage, Rajura disappeared then leaped above the crowd to escape. He jumped onto the side of the nearest building and swiftly crawled off.

“I can track him, he went that way.” Iron Man boosted into the air and started flying towards the disguised warrior. “Guy’s crawling around like Webs.”

For now, Rajura continued on only using his spider-like abilities. Fooling the man with direct illusions to cover his true sensors would be too much of a tip off at this juncture. If things got violent, he wanted several aces up his sleeves since he was already at a geological disadvantage.

The group of heroes was keeping up in all of their own ways. Most of them were roof hopping, Iron Man and Nova were flying, and Spider-Man was swinging with his thread. Rajura dodged what was likely a tracer from Iron Man. He wasn’t going to be that easy of a target, not after training with supernatural forces for over 4 demon years. He was running out of close buildings, it was time to up his game.

Rajura held out a hand and shot his own spider silk from his fingertips. The strands twirled together into a single cord and caught on the building across the way.

“Shit,” cursed Iron Man. “That guy can do the web slinging, too.”  
“Really?” Spider-Man sounded excited at the prospect.

“Seems like he was telling the truth,” Captain America stated, aiming it at the three who had caused the chase to happen.

“This doesn’t prove that,” argued Iron Man. “At most it’s circumstantial.”

“Are we seriously doing this?” grumbled White Tiger. “I have to study for the test tomorrow. Let the Avengers handle this guy.”

There were sudden yelps as Iron Man came to an abrupt stop, making heroes dodge around one another. “What gives, man?” Hawkeye snapped.  
“He disappeared from my sensors.”

“That’s not all that’s missing,” informed Power Man. “Webhead’s gone, too.”

Spider-Man, for his part, knew what he was doing. Or he hoped he knew. It seemed like the right thing to do, anyhow.

Because despite popular belief that as a spider he would want to hide high, what made him feel better was hiding in the dark. And if Rajura was like him, then he had an idea where a non-native might try hiding. It helped that he was able to spot the strands of spider silk that were definitely not his. The color and scent were wrong.

The young hero doubled back to an abandoned warehouse and he slipped inside through a broken window. Warehouses were forever drawing in those who wanted to disappear but had nowhere to go. He looked around from where he was on the ceiling, but he didn’t see the white-haired man. His Spidey Sense wasn’t tingling either, which was a good thing. He wasn’t looking for a fight.

“Hey there,” he greeted with his friendliest friendly neighborhood Spider-Man voice. “I’m pretty sure you’re here, I know I would be. It seems like some of our locals fell off the wrong side of the web this morning, so sorry about that.” He had to remind himself that Rajura’s first language wasn’t English, that meant he had to keep the jokes to a minimum. Confusing him wasn’t going to score any points here.

Like a mirage, the man shimmered into view. “Whoa.” He wanted that trick, too!  
“I’m sorry for the unintended commotion,” Rajura apologized as he crawled closer. “I had only wanted to meet you.”  
“I’m flattered, but why? Is it my dashing good looks?”  
“As I said, we seem similar. Where I am from, I am the only one like me. I am the only spider.”

That struck Spider-Man as unbearably lonely, and it reminded him of when he first became the man of spiders. But over time he met and befriended other heroes, and he found a few who were even spider types like him. “I totally get that. It’s isolating, and you just want someone you can relate to.” The red and blue hero shifted to a sitting position, which Rajura copied. It was kind of funny with his long hair pointed at the floor. “So, where are you from?”

Rajura seemed to be thinking over what to say, although he couldn’t determine if it was a language issue or if he wanted to hide something. “I think… it may have been a dimension gate.”

Spider-Man’s eyes stretched wide. Magic or tech, that was serious stuff to mess with. “Are you sure?”  
“Fairly so. The New York of my world lost its Twin Towers in a terrorist attack, and the glass tower has an H, not an A. It’s also in Tokyo, not New York.”

Spider-Man was reeling from the new information. Terrorists took out the Twin Towers? And why an H? Then he finally noticed Rajura’s shirt. He hadn’t really registered it since at first glance it seemed to be the Avengers “A” but it was, in fact, an H of similar design. It even had the arrow running through it. “What does it stand for?”  
“It was originally the H for Hashiba Tower, but after the demon attack only this letter remained. It’s now the Hero Tower.”

Spider-Man nodded but he didn’t immediately comment. Was what he was being told true? His Spidey Sense remained quiet. If it was a lie, it wasn’t meant to do him harm, but why come up with something so outrageous? And man, demon invasion? He thought hostile aliens were bad.

“Not gonna lie, it’s a lot to swallow, but weird things happen all the time here. Let’s say we rejoin the team, and we explain to them everything you just told me?” Spider-Man said with as much optimism as he could. “Cap’s on our side, and he’s always the voice of reason. They’ll hear us out.”

The young hero knew that this was a lot for the other man to handle, but their options weren’t exactly abundant. He was relieved when Rajura agreed.

They swung back towards where Spider-Man last saw the Avengers and his teammates. He caught peeks at Rajura, fascinated by his similar yet different swinging style. And his webbing came from his fingers instead of his wrists. “Uh oh,” Spider-Man said mostly to himself but Rajura heard him anyway. “Uh, how long does it take for your webbing to dissolve?”  
“It depends on the elements it’s exposed to.”  
“That’s what I was afraid of.” Spider-Man swung up to a roof and waited for his companion to join him. “See, I have these web shooters I invented. It let’s me save my organic silk, and it disintegrates after a couple hours so it’s not left hanging everywhere.”  
“You made these?” the Japanese man asked while looking them over. “Fascinating. Touma made something like this for me when we expect prolong battle, but I do not use them otherwise. There are cleaner bots in the city when I choose to travel via thread.”  
“Cleaner bots? We could use those!”

“What could we use?” asked the familiar voice of Mister Red, White, and Blue as he landed on the roof from the building next door.  
“Cap, you found us!” Spider-Man was glad that it was the sensible Avenger who tracked them down first. “They have cleaning bots for their city, we need those! And this guy isn’t our enemy, I’d know.”

Captain America held up both hands in a gentle surrender. “I believe you, Spider-Man. My gut tells me the same.” He put his hands down and shifted his gaze to their guest. “Iron Man and Hawkeye are hotheaded, but they’re good men.”  
“I understand,” Rajura responded. “I don’t mind speaking with your team, and I encourage you to use what you need to determine my truthfulness, but please understand that when I don’t answer it’s because I’m avoiding causing possible danger.”

“Well, isn’t that generous?” There was the sound of booster rockets from below before Iron Man joined them on the rooftop. “How about we start with how you tricked my sensors.”  
“I will not answer that.” The red and gold hero made him bristle. He wanted to hold on to as many trump cards as possible. If the heroes were like this, what were the serious villains like? He wanted as little about his abilities known as possible.  
“Then I’ll postulate,” the older man declared. “Your mutant power is in the psychic family. More than likely you did one of three things: One, some form of hypnotic suggestion. Two, you’re a technopath. Or three, you’re an illusionist.” The armored man stepped closer, situating himself in Rajura’s personal space. “Considering your disappearing act, I’m guessing number three.”

This was a lot like dealing with Touma. The young man could always figure out what was going on, and it didn’t take a lot of information for him to get it right. However, the man also answered one of his questions. A mutant was someone with powers. Then he could make the assumption that a mutant here is what’s known as an Aspect back home.

“Iron Man, I really respect you, but calm down,” Spider-Man said as he stepped between them. “He’s cooperating.”  
“I don’t like people messing with my head,” the red and gold man said before taking a step back. “He doesn’t have records, and his energy pattern isn’t a match for any of the known realms.”

Known realms? Then there was some knowledge and possibly some ability to travel from this realm to another already acknowledged realm. That made his true reason for being here more believable. 

Captain America rested a hand on Iron Man’s shoulder. “We all need to calm down. Let’s go back to Avengers Tower, have some refreshments, then start from the top. Spider-Man, I would appreciate it if you came along.”  
“M-me?” He sounded ecstatic. “Sure thing, Cap. I never have a problem with sticking around!”

Rajura watched as communications with their teammates took place; Iron Man by the embedded technology in his helmet, and Spider-Man via a watch-like device.

Listening to the younger hero speak to his team was entertaining. Half of it was banter that bordered on flirting. It was similar to their groups back home, granted having been with the other Masho for so long meant their “flirting banter” could be rather… indecent. The Troopers were much cuter about it. Spider-Man’s team sounded more conservative. 

“A car will be here shortly,” Iron Man announced after a moment. “We wouldn’t want anyone getting lost along the way,” he said with the pointed tone of a businessman.

The four of them gathered inside the fanciest limo Rajura had ever seen. He couldn’t understand why anyone needed so much extravagance. Spider-Man lightly bopped his shoulder.

“Mind blown, right? I’m still not used to it.” He leaned back in his plush seat. “But that’s Mr. Stark for you.”  
“Mr. Stark?”  
“Yeah, Iron Man.” He pointed a finger at the armored male who was talking to Captain America right across from them. Just then, his face mask opened to reveal a white male in his late 20s to early 30s. He was handsome and oozed charm.

It was odd though. He almost looked like an older Touma if the man hadn’t been born Japanese. He even had the same facial hair that the bluenet liked when Seiji didn’t make him shave it off because “he wasn’t going to make out with a squirrel.” It made him wonder just how parallel their worlds really were.

Rajura’s stomach growled. Was it lunch already? Shin was going to notice that he was missing soon. Did this dimension have the same time flow? Was he being displace even more with every passing moment?

“I could use a dirty water dog myself,” Spider-Man announced cheerfully. Rajura had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but it had broken him out of the start of a downward spiral and he was grateful for that.  
“He means a hotdog,” Captain America supplied.  
“There’ll be lunch when we arrive,” Iron Man, Stark, responded with an annoyed sigh. “Assuming Hulk doesn’t eat it all before we get there.”

Hulk… the large, green demon from before, or would he be a mutant? He hadn’t been in a good mood earlier from what Rajura could tell. If eating all the food changed that then it would be for the best. The aura he felt from him had been disturbing, like an undercurrent of raw rage that threatened to overtake an entire ocean. The green beast must have the will of a Demon Lord to keep himself in check.

The white-haired man focused his one eye out the window so he could learn more about the world he was in. He might be here for a while, hopefully not too long, and he rather be as prepared as possible should danger strike.

There were a lot of pictures of Iron Man and Stark scattered around, and his given name was apparently Tony. He was not someone hiding his identity, that was for certain.

Thankfully, the trip to the A building, Avengers Tower, was quiet. Spider-Man had sensed Rajura’s want to be silent until his “questioning” by the Hero Party. The young man really was quite intuitive, and that intrigued him.

The inside of Avengers Tower was even more extravagant than the limo had been. It was awe-inspiring and baffling.

“Tony doesn’t believe in being strictly practical,” Captain America answered without prompting.  
“Practical smactical,” Stark said as he walked straight to the wet bar. “We save the world on a regular basis, we deserve this.” He sounded a lot like the Masho Anubisu and Naaza right there. It made Rajura’s lips quirk up.

Hawkeye entered the large living space with a redheaded woman in a form-fit one-piece black bodysuit that left little to the imagination. Rajura could tell by how she moved that she was a skilled assassin. She didn’t make a sound and she had no wasted movements. Blue and hazel instantly locked as they assessed each other.

“You’re a trained killer,” she stated simply.  
“As are you,” Rajura returned.

“Wait, what?” came Spider-Man’s voice. The young hero had, of course, known about Black Widow but he hadn’t expected that of Rajura. The man didn’t break his visual contact with Black Widow as he answered.  
“It’s not something I am hiding. I was trained in the arts of death from a young age.”

“Before we get started,” Captain America interrupted, “Black Widow, Rajura. Rajura, meet Black Widow. Let’s move to the briefing room.”

“Hey, JARVIS, where are the others?” Stark questioned the air. A voice from above answered.  
“The Hulk is busy demolishing several containers of peanut butter and pickles, not necessarily separated. Thor and Falcon are still out, Sir.”

Rajura’s attention was finally pulled away from the redhead. He looked up in surprise. “Sebasuchan puroguramu?” he muttered to himself. He supposed he shouldn’t be that shocked. The level of technology appeared to be roughly the same. Granted the AI’s voice back home was much sexier. Sebastian was popular enough that he had merchandise, fan clubs, doujinshi, and whatever else was “the in thing” at the moment. There were other AIs created from the same program, but Sebastian stayed on top. He still held that Touma designed him to fulfill some kind of fantasy.

The group was led to another area that certainly looked like a standard briefing room with a large white board and everything. Rajura noted that he was made to sit at the far end, considered the front, the furthest from the door. Spider-Man was to his right and Captain America to his left. Subtle, but a clear message that there were capable people surrounding him. On his side or not, it was likely they had the confidence to stop him.

Rajura doubted they could if he went all out, but overconfidence had caused him to fail before. It was better to remain cautious.

Captain America broke the silence. “Please introduce yourself.”

The former Masho pulled in a slow, deep breath as he continued to consider how to handle the unusual situation he was in. “I am Rajura, age twenty. I did not come to cause trouble or harm, I hadn’t meant to come at all. Please accept my apologies for the inconvenience.” Politeness was always a good route to take.

Most everyone had their poker faces on, listening and staring intently.

“Hey, happens to the best of us,” Spider-Man cracked. An amused smile blossomed on Rajura’s lips.  
“Yes.”

Without prompting, the man continued. “I was…” He paused, trying to think of the words he was looking for. “I accidentally fell into this dimension.” Then he looked a little sheepish. “I touched something I shouldn’t have, and that’s what happened.”

“By what means?” Stark demanded.  
“I can’t say.”  
“Cant, or won’t?” he further pried.  
“Can’t.” Rajura’s tone made it clear that was his final say on that matter. “To make things short, I only want to figure out how to go home.”

“We’re not seriously just going to take his word for all this, are we?” Hawkeye spoke with agitation. He didn’t believe that Rajura was from another dimension. 

Black Widow didn’t look too trusting either, her gaze firmly pinned on Rajura. “What if you can’t go back?”

He had been avoiding thinking that. Now with the matter on the table, in his face, he didn’t have a choice. What if he couldn’t go home?  
He would be more alone than ever.

Rajura knew his posture had tensed and that his hands had clenched into fists on the tabletop, but the people around him must have seen something else. Their demeanors changed in the slightest ways. They had become... Concerned…? Surprised? Was his face showing an expression he had not meant to wear? The thought caused a bolt of pain to go through his missing eye.

A gloved hand gently clasped his shoulder. “It’s alright, son,” Captain America assured. “We’ll do what we can.”  
“Don’t sweat it,” Spider-Man piped up. “There are people with all kinds of abilities here. Someone has to be able to help.”

“Sir,” JARVIS interjected, breaking the moment, “Thor and Falcon have returned. Also, the Hulk has proceeded to the kitchen. I’ve already ordered pizzas for your lunches in anticipation of him eating everything again.”  
“Thanks, JARVIS,” Stark responded. “Have it sent here when it arrives. Drinks, too.” He leaned back in his seat.

Rajura chuckled to himself. He never thought he would miss their BUTLER system Sebastian, but the AI did have quite the personality. “Does he have an avatar, your Jarvis?”  
“I have a visualization spherical module,” the AI answered.  
“You don’t have a humanoid form? What a shame. They’re all the rage back home.”  
“Mister Stark has never considered it, I’m afraid.”

“Wait, what?” Stark looked towards the ceiling. “You want a body? Since when?” The man shook his head and returned his attention to Rajura. “Hold that thought. What do you know about my AI system?”  
“Your system specifically? Nothing. We have similar AI at home called the BUTLER system,” the white-haired man explained. “Avatars for them is popular.”  
“Butler?” asked Spider-Man. “Like Jeeves, kind of butler?”  
“Somewhat? The creator wanted an excuse to name the original Sebastian, and he came up with the Bioengineered United Transformative Learning Everyday Robotic system.”  
“That’s better than what JARVIS stands for,” cracked Hawkeye.  
“Is not,” Stark shot back. “And I bet he’s better than any Sebastian. He sounds stuck up.”

Black Widow would have rolled her eyes, but she was keeping her gaze on Rajura. The white-haired man was quite aware of her intense attention.

Just then, the door burst open to admit a large blond man in distinctive armor, cape, and winged helm. “The mighty Thor has arrived!”

Rajura was impressed by the man’s powerful aura. It was like the Troopers Xiu Li and Seiji had a child. Perhaps he was one of these mutants. Although, there was something about him that struck the pale man as familiar, like he had met someone similar before. His name was also nagging him. He felt pain from his missing eye again.

“So this is our mystery guest,” Thor boomed. Behind him was a much smaller black male in a red and silver avian-inspired outfit, who felt like a normal human. He had to be Falcon.  
“What do these readings even mean? They’re like nothing I’ve ever seen before.” The yellow visor over his face disappeared. “A mutant?” He blinked dark eyes at the unusual Rajura. 

“I don’t believe so,” answered Captain America. “He’s from far away. A different dimension, in fact.”  
“I see he is a warrior,” Thor announced in his loud speaking voice. Rajura figured his assumption was based on his eyepatch. At least the Viking didn’t declare him a pirate. “Come, new friend, let us have a friendly bout!”  
“We’re not on friendly terms,” Hawkeye ground out in annoyance as Thor took his seat by Captain America, grinning and waving to Spider-Man in greeting.

The smaller blond stared at Rajura through his purple shades. Granted it didn’t feel like the young Japanese man, he still found his age hard to believe, was lying. He knew liars, knew what the best of them sounded like. It was hard to fool him just from his life experience. After all, he still hadn’t forgiven the last guy who had managed to pull the wool over his eyes. To hell if he was going to let it happen again.

Hawkeye glanced to Black Widow, who gave him half a glance back. It was in their “guest’s” favor that she didn’t hold the gaze. That meant she hadn’t picked up on any lies yet, either. “Yet” being the keyword.

Falcon had his visor activated again even as he sat between Iron Man and Hawkeye. “I see. Then these readings make more sense, but it’s strange. Tony, you must have noticed, too.”  
“Yeah, I did.” Stark leaned back in his seat and rested his arms behind his head. “But it still matches up to the dimensional hypothesis we have.” He held up a hand before Hawkeye could demand an explanation. “It’s not anything that can’t wait. So, Rajura,” he redirected attention back to their guest as he got comfortable again, “how’s your name written and translated?”

Rajura knew the man had to be smart if he was some form of counterpart to Touma, and it seemed this world’s Japan likely had the same tradition of descriptive names. However, he didn’t think the name he now went by would tell them anything more than he had already said or was willing to say. “It’s written with three characters: Spiral, Curse, and Silk.”  
“So not your birth name.” It was a statement, not a question.  
“Correct,” Rajura confirmed.  
“Not exactly a happy name either,” Iron Man pushed. “Care to explain that?”

The white-haired man bit back his annoyance. Just because he understood the behavior didn’t mean he liked it. “It is a name gained during war, that is all.” Details of that war were the last thing he wanted to discuss.  
His blind eye itched this time.

Thor banged on the table with a large palm. “Battle names are badges of honor. I am called the Thunderer!” Rajura was amused at the proclamation.  
“That is a strong name,” he complimented with a nod. “Your enemies must tremble when they hear it.”  
“Indeed they do!”

Rajura’s empty eye socket stung. How Thor said that was causing a loud bell to ring in his head.

The meeting was interrupted again, but this time by several machines bringing them pizzas. “Hulk has already been delivered his lion’s share,” JARVIS informed them.

Rajura watched the automatons with some fascination. They were similar, yet different from what they had back home. The pizza smelled the same, though.  
Spider-Man flipped up the bottom of his mask, revealing himself to be of European descent. Perfect white teeth showed that he was taken care of. A pizza slice was quickly stuffed into his mouth. “Mm, yum!”

“Now isn’t the time for this, Stark,” Black Widow said in annoyance.  
“Hey, empty stomachs make for bad business,” he defended.

Black Widow pinned Rajura with a hard glare. He was certain normal men would have crumbled under it. “Yes?”  
“Stop with the games. Explain yourself now.”  
“I already have explained. I am here by accident, and I only want to go home.”  
“That’s not what I want,” she pushed. Rajura’s single eye hardened.  
“You do not need my history.”

He wanted to leave, but his instincts told him that would be a bad move. If he was trapped here, he needed these people to be his allies.

A hand gently grasped his shoulder on his blind side, but he forced himself not to react beyond a tensing of muscle. “You’re not just a fighter, but a soldier, aren’t you?” was Captain America’s question. The memories came unbidden; the strict training that took up his childhood, the blood, the screams, the smell of death.  
“I… was samurai.” He hadn’t meant to tell them this much, but something about this man made it feel like it was alright.

Iron Man and Falcon reacted at the same time, as if information they had been sitting on now made sense.

“Holy cow, for real?” Spider-Man leaned in close, the mask’s eyes stretched wide. “Like swords and honor samurai? That kind of samurai?”  
Rajura blinked his one eye, wondering if there were other types of samurai here. “Yes…”  
“So cool!” Spider-Man held up a piece of pepperoni pizza. “Oh, you haven’t had any yet, you should try it. New York pizza is the best. Samurai should definitely get a slice.”  
“Thank you.” The white-haired man took the offered food and tried a bite. It tasted like a pizza that could be made back home.

Naaza would really like this flavor.  
He wondered what Shin had made for lunch back at the Hero Tower.

Did anyone know he was missing yet?  
Could Touma get him back?

“I understand samurai are great warriors,” Thor shouted enthusiastically, several slices of pizza stacked in one hand and a large drink in the other. “You must regale us your tales of glory!” He took a huge bite of the food pile. The blond really was a lot like Xiu Li.

But he still couldn’t place why the man’s speech pattern was so familiar. It kept nagging at him, like he once knew someone who spoke in the same manner. Someone important in his past—a past he tried hard not to remember.

“Incoming!” Spider-Man shouted.  
“Projectiles homing in from—”

Rajura stopped hearing JARVIS, already reacting to Spider-Man’s warning and what his own senses were telling him. The other heroes were also taking action, most of them immediately running out of the room. However, Iron Man stood in the pale man’s way.

“Oh no, not you. You might be part of this.”

Rajura bit back a retort. He released a slow breath from his nose to calm himself.

“I’ll stick with him, Iron Man” Spider-Man volunteered. There was a loud bellow followed by an eruption. “Sounds like Goldilocks has this, anyway.” There was an equally loud metallic thump. “And Cap, Cap’s got this.” Then a series of smaller blasts. “That’s probably Hawkeye. We’re really missing all the fun.”

A chuckle escaped Rajura. He could imagine Anubisu commenting the same if he were to be kept from battle, just like Lady Dragon.

His amusement immediately evaporated and his thoughts screeched to a halt.  
Who was Lady Dragon?

Spider-Man abruptly grabbed them and dove out of the room. Moments later there was an explosion.

**Author's Note:**

> [Want to stay updated on my art and stories?](http://dawneastpoint.deviantart.com/journal/Check-Here-for-my-Updates-638603365)  
>  It'll be two steps because I'm not allowed to mention my personal blog on here.


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